Blind device

ABSTRACT

A blind device includes a flexible screen body with interconnected shielding sections, and a counterweight unit provided on a lowermost one of the shielding sections. The counterweight unit includes vertically extending left and right side bars provided respectively at left and right edges of the lowermost shielding section, and a horizontally extending bottom bar retained at a bottom edge of the lowermost shielding section. The counterweight unit is convertible from a screen-stretching state, where the lowermost shielding section is stretched by the side bars, to a screen-foldable state, where folding of the lowermost shielding section in a vertical direction is permitted by the counterweight unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a blind device, more particularly to a blind device having a screen body that can be furled and unfurled.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional blind device includes a flexible screen body that can be furled and unfurled, and a counterweight unit provided on the screen body to balance the winding force of a winding mechanism. Since the counterweight unit of the conventional blind device is provided fixedly on the screen body and is not foldable, packaging material and storage space requirements of the conventional blind device are large.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a blind device having a screen body that can be furled and unfurled, and a counterweight unit with components that can be removed from the screen body or folded relative to the screen body to reduce packaging material and storage space requirements of the blind device.

According to the present invention, a blind device includes a top frame member, a flexible screen body, a positioning unit, a furling controller, and a counterweight unit.

The screen body can be furled and unfurled, has a top end connected to the top frame member, and includes a plurality of shielding sections arranged in a vertical column. Adjacent ones of the shielding sections are interconnected.

The positioning unit includes a plurality of pairs of horizontally spaced apart left and right ring components. Each of the pairs of the ring components is disposed at a junction of a corresponding adjacent pair of the shielding sections.

The furling controller includes a winding mechanism mounted on the top frame member, and left and right pull cords connected to the winding mechanism. The left pull cord passes in sequence through the left ring components. The right pull cord passes in sequence through the right ring components. The left and right pull cords have distal ends connected to a top edge of a lowermost one of the shielding sections. The winding mechanism applies a winding force on the pull cords.

The counterweight unit is provided on the lowermost one of the shielding sections to balance the winding force of the winding mechanism. The counterweight unit includes vertically extending left and right side bars provided respectively at left and right edges of the lowermost one of the shielding sections, and a horizontally extending bottom bar retained at a bottom edge of the lowermost one of the shielding sections and disposed to transmit an upward pushing force on the bottom bar to the side bars. The counterweight unit is convertible from a screen-stretching state, where the lowermost one of the shielding sections is stretched by the side bars, and a screen-foldable state, where the counterweight unit permits folding of the lowermost one of the shielding sections in a vertical direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a partly exploded perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of a blind device according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of a counterweight unit of the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view to illustrate a fully furled state of a screen body of the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of a counterweight unit of the second preferred embodiment of a blind device according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the counterweight unit of the second preferred embodiment;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a side bar of a counterweight unit of the third preferred embodiment of a blind device according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary schematic view of the counterweight unit of the third preferred embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view to illustrate a fully furled state of a screen body of the third preferred embodiment;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a side bar of a counterweight unit of the fourth preferred embodiment of a blind device according to the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a schematic partly sectional view of the counterweight unit of the fourth preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, it should be noted herein that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the first preferred embodiment of a blind device according to the present invention is shown to comprise a top frame member 3 that can be fixed to a wall (not shown), a flexible screen body 4 that can be furled and unfurled and that has a top end connected fixedly to the top frame member 3, a plurality of horizontally extending and vertically spaced apart lifting rods 5 provided on the screen body 4, a positioning unit 6 disposed on a rear side of the screen body 4, a furling controller 7 mounted on the top frame member 3 and operable to furl the screen body 4, and a counterweight unit 8 provided on a lowermost part of the screen body 4.

The screen body 4 includes a plurality of shielding sections 41 arranged in a vertical column and having equal vertical lengths. Adjacent ones of the shielding sections 41 are interconnected and are provided with a horizontally extending rod-receiving pocket 42 at a junction thereof. A lowermost one of the shielding sections 41 is provided with a pair of vertically extending pockets 410 at left and right edges thereof. Each of the vertically extending pockets 410 has an access hole 411 at a top end thereof. In this embodiment, the screen body 4 is made of a soft fabric material, such as cotton or silk. The vertically extending pockets 410 are formed by folding, followed by sewing, at left and right lateral parts of the lowermost shielding section 41. The rod-receiving pockets 42 are formed by folding, followed by sewing, at junctions of the shielding sections 41. However, the material of the screen body 4, as well as how the pockets 410, 42 are formed, should not be limited to those described above.

Each lifting rod 5 is inserted removably into a respective one of the rod-receiving pockets 42. The positioning unit 6 includes a plurality of pairs of horizontally spaced apart left and right ring components 61. Each pair of the ring components 61 clamps removably a corresponding lifting rod 5. In practice, the lifting rods 5 are optional and may be omitted in other embodiments of this invention.

The furling controller 7 includes a winding mechanism 71 mounted on the top frame member 3 and left and right pull cords 72 connected to the winding mechanism 71. The left pull cord 72 passes in sequence through the left ring components 61, and the right pull cord 72 passes in sequence through the right ring components 61. The left and right pull cords 72 have distal ends connected to a top edge of the lowermost shielding section 41. The winding mechanism 71 applies a winding force on the pull cords 72.

In this embodiment, the counterweight unit 8 includes a horizontally extending bottom bar 81 retained at a bottom edge of the lowermost shielding section 41, a horizontally extending top bar 82 retained at the top edge of the lowermost shielding section 41, and vertically extending left and right side bars 83 received respectively and removably in the vertically extending pockets 410 of the lowermost shielding section 41 via the access holes 411. The bottom edge of the lowermost shielding section 41 is formed with a horizontally extending lower pocket 412 to receive the bottom bar 81. The bottom bar 81 has opposite ends that extend into the vertically extending pockets 410, respectively. The weight of the bottom bar 81 is selected to balance the winding force applied by the winding mechanism 71 on the pull cords 72 so that the bottom edge of the lowermost shielding section 41 can be held releasably at an arbitrary height in a conventional manner. The top edge of the lowermost shielding section 41 is formed with a horizontally extending upper pocket 413 to receive the top bar 82. The top bar 82 has opposite ends that extend above the access holes 411 of the vertically extending pockets 410, respectively. Two couplers 84 connect removably the opposite ends of the bottom bar 81 to lower ends of the side bars 83, respectively. In this embodiment, the lower end of each side bar 83 has a protrusion 831 formed at each of front and rear faces thereof. Each coupler 84 includes a U-shaped wall 841 and a partition 843 that is connected integrally to the U-shaped wall 841 and that cooperates with the U-shaped wall 841 to form a first coupling segment that opens upward and sideward and that clamps removably the front and rear faces of the lower end of the corresponding side bar 83, and a second coupling segment that opens downward and sideward and that clamps removably front and rear faces of the corresponding end of the bottom bar 81. The first coupling segment of the coupler 84 is formed with a pair of grooves 842 to engage removably the protrusions 831 on the lower end of the corresponding side bar 83. Engagement between the protrusions 831 and the grooves 842 results in a greater friction force between the side bars 83 and the couplers 84 than that between the couplers 84 and the bottom bar 81. In other embodiments, the positions of the protrusions 831 and the grooves 842 on the side bars 83 and the couplers 84 may be interchanged.

When assembling the side bars 83 to the screen body 4, the couplers 84 are first connected to the lower ends of the side bars 83, and each assembled side bar 83 and coupler 84 is subsequently inserted into the corresponding vertically extending pocket 410 via the access hole 411 to engage the coupler 84 with the corresponding end of the bottom bar 81. The side bars 83 are fully confined in the vertically extending pockets 410 and stretch the lowermost shielding section 41 of the screen body 4. The counterweight unit 8 is in a screen-stretching state at this time.

When the blind device is mounted on a wall, furling and unfurling of the screen body 4 can be conducted by pushing the bottom bar 81 upward or pulling the bottom bar 81 downward. In particular, when the bottom bar 81 is pushed upward, the side bars 83 move upward therewith and abut against the opposite ends of the top bar 82, thereby moving the lowermost shielding section 41 upward. Due to the winding force applied by the winding mechanism 71 on the pull cords 72, upward movement of the lowermost shielding section 41 results in folding of an immediately adjacent one of the shielding sections 41. Further upward movement of the lowermost shielding section 41 results in eventual abutment between the top bar 82 and one of the pairs of the ring components 61 in preparation for folding another one of the shielding sections 41. The shielding sections 41 are thus folded in sequence from bottom to top in the aforementioned manner when the bottom bar 81 is pushed upward.

To reduce packaging material and storage space requirements of the blind device, the side bars 83 are designed to be removable from the vertically extending pockets 410 so as to convert the counterweight unit 8 from the screen-stretching state to a screen-foldable state, where the counterweight unit 8 permits folding of the lowermost shielding section 41 in a vertical direction when the screen body 4 is in a fully furled state, as best shown in FIG. 3. Due to the greater friction force between the side bars 83 and the couplers 84, removal of the side bars 83 from the vertically extending pockets 410 also results in removal of the couplers 84 from the opposite ends of the bottom bar 81.

It should be noted that, in other embodiments of this invention, the couplers 84 may be omitted as long as upward movement of the bottom bar 81 can result in corresponding movement of the side bars 83. Moreover, the locations of the access holes 411 are not necessarily limited to the top ends of the vertically extending pockets 410, i.e., they may be located adjacent to the opposite ends of the bottom bar 81 such that the side bars 83 are inserted upwardly into the vertically extending pockets 410. In this case, the couplers 84 can be designed to connect the side bars 83 to the opposite ends of the top bar 82.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the second preferred embodiment of the blind device of this invention differs from the previous embodiment in the configuration of the counterweight unit 8. In this embodiment, each of the bottom, top and side bars 81, 82, 83 has a U-shaped structure. Moreover, there are four couplers 84 in this embodiment. Each coupler 84 includes a fan-shaped main body 844 and two insert portions 845 that extend from the main body 844 and that are angularly spaced apart from each other at a right angle. Each insert portion 845 is clamped removably by one of the bottom, top and side bars 81, 82, 83 such that each coupler 84 connects removably one end of a respective side bar 83 to one end of an adjacent one of the bottom and top bars 81, 82. In this embodiment, the insert portions 845 are formed with friction-enhancing ribs 846 to enhance engagement between the couplers 84 and the bottom, top and side bars 81, 82, 83. It should be noted that the friction-enhancing ribs 846 are optional and may be omitted in other embodiments of this invention.

While each of the bottom, top and side bars 81, 82, 83 has a U-shaped structure in this embodiment, the bottom, top and side bars 81, 82, 83 may be constructed as rectangular tubes, circular tubes or oval tubes in other embodiments of this invention.

Referring to FIGS. 6 to 8, the third preferred embodiment of the blind device of this invention differs from the previous embodiments in the configuration of the counterweight unit 8. In this embodiment, each of the vertically extending pockets 410 further has a pair of vertically spaced apart openings 412. In this embodiment, the openings 412 are located at one-third and two-thirds of the vertical length of the lowermost shielding section 41 of the screen body 4, respectively.

The counterweight unit 8 of this embodiment does not include the couplers 84 of the previous embodiments. In addition, each of the side bars 83 in this embodiment includes three bar segments 832 and two coupling members 835. Each bar segment 832 has a bar body 833 with a rounded head end, and at least one stop flange 834 projecting from the bar body 833 proximate to the rounded head end. In this embodiment, each bar segment 832 has two stop flanges 834 that project respectively from opposite lateral sides of the bar body 833. Adjacent ones of the bar segments 832 are disposed in an end-to-end relation when received in the corresponding one of the vertically extending pockets 410. That is, the head end of the bar body 833 of a lower one of the bar segments 832 is disposed adjacent to a tail end of the bar body 833 of an upper one of the bar segments 832 when the bar segments 832 are received in the corresponding one of the vertically extending pockets 410. Each of the coupling members 835 is used to connect removably and non-foldably a corresponding adjacent pair of the bar segments 832. In this embodiment, each of the coupling members 835 is sleeved on and is slidable along the bar body 833 of the upper bar segment 832 in the corresponding adjacent pair, and serves to connect removably and non-foldably the tail end of the bar body 833 of the upper bar segment 832 to the head end of the bar body 833 of the lower bar segment 832 in the corresponding adjacent pair. In this embodiment, each of the coupling members 835 abuts against the stop flanges 834 on the bar body 833 of the lower bar segment 832 in the corresponding adjacent pair when interconnecting the corresponding adjacent pair of the bar segments 832. Each of the coupling members 835 is registered with a respective one of the openings 412 in the vertically extending pockets 410 when the side bars 83 are configured to stretch the lowermost one of the shielding sections 41 of the screen body 4, i.e., when the counterweight unit 8 is disposed in the screen-stretching state.

The side bars 83 can be assembled to the screen body 4 by inserting the bar segments 832 and the coupling members 835 into the vertically extending pockets 410 via the access holes 411 or the openings 412, or by disposing the side bars 83 on the screen body 4 when forming the vertically extending pockets 410.

When it is desired to reduce packaging material and storage space requirements of the blind device, the counterweight unit 8 is converted from the screen-stretching state to the screen-foldable state by folding the side bars 83. To this end, each of the coupling members 835 is accessed via the registered one of the openings 412 so as to disengage the same from the head end of the bar body 833 of the lower bar segment 832 in the corresponding adjacent pair by sliding the same upwardly along the bar body 833 of the upper bar segment 832 in the corresponding adjacent pair. At this time, the lowermost shielding section 41 of the screen body 4 can be folded in the vertical direction into three sub-sections, as best shown in FIG. 8.

It should be noted that, since the coupling members 835 can be disengaged from the lower bar segments 832 even without the presence of the openings 412 in the vertically extending pockets 410, the openings 412 may be omitted in other embodiments of this invention. Moreover, since the numbers of the openings 412, and the bar segments 832 and the coupling members 835 that constitute the side bars 833, can vary depending on requirements, they should not be limited to those of the preferred embodiment.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate the fourth preferred embodiment of the blind device of this invention, which is a modification of the third preferred embodiment. Unlike the third preferred embodiment, each of the vertically extending pockets 410 is not formed with the openings 412. In addition, the head end of the bar body of each of the bar segments 832 is not rounded, and each of the bar segments 832 is not provided with the stop flanges 834. In this embodiment, each of the coupling members 835 has an H-shaped cross-section, and includes a surrounding wall 836 and a partition 837 that is connected integrally to the surrounding wall 836 and that cooperates with the surrounding wall 836 to form a first coupling segment that opens upward to engage removably the tail end of the bar body of the upper bar segment 832 in the corresponding adjacent pair, and a second coupling segment that opens downward to engage removably the head end of the bar body of the lower bar segment 832 in the corresponding adjacent pair. In this embodiment, a depth of engagement between each coupling member 835 and each of the bar segments 832 in the corresponding adjacent pair is about 0.5 cm.

The side bars 83 are assembled by using the coupling members 835 to interconnect adjacent pairs of the bar segments 832. The assembled side bars 83 are then inserted into the vertically extending pockets 410 respectively via the access holes 411. The side bars 83 are fully confined in the vertically extending pockets 410 and stretch the lowermost shielding section 41 of the screen body 41. The counterweight unit 8 is disposed in a screen-stretching state at this time.

When it is desired to reduce packaging material and storage space requirements of the blind device, the counterweight unit 8 is converted from the screen-stretching state to the screen-foldable state by folding the side bars 83. To this end, each of the coupling members 835 is disengaged from one of the bar segments 832 that is connected thereto. Like the third preferred embodiment, when the adjacent pairs of the bar segments 832 are disconnected, the lowermost shielding section 41 of the screen body 4 can be folded in the vertical direction into three sub-sections.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what are considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements. 

1. A blind device comprising: a top frame member; a flexible screen body that can be furled and unfurled and that has a top end connected to said top frame member, said screen body including a plurality of shielding sections arranged in a vertical column, adjacent ones of said shielding sections being interconnected; a positioning unit including a plurality of pairs of horizontally spaced apart left and right ring components, each of said pairs of said ring components being disposed at a junction of a corresponding adjacent pair of said shielding sections; a furling controller including a winding mechanism mounted on said top frame member and left and right pull cords connected to said winding mechanism, said left pull cord passing in sequence through said left ring components, said right pull cord passing in sequence through said right ring components, said left and right pull cords having distal ends connected to a top edge of a lowermost one of said shielding sections, said winding mechanism applying a winding force on said pull cords; and a counterweight unit provided on said lowermost one of said shielding sections to balance the winding force of said winding mechanism; said counterweight unit including vertically extending left and right side bars provided respectively at left and right edges of said lowermost one of said shielding sections, and a horizontally extending bottom bar retained at a bottom edge of said lowermost one of said shielding sections and disposed to transmit an upward pushing force on said bottom bar to said side bars; said counterweight unit being convertible from a screen-stretching state, where said lowermost one of said shielding sections is stretched by said side bars, and a screen-foldable state, where said counterweight unit permits folding of said lowermost one of said shielding sections in a vertical direction.
 2. The blind device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lowermost one of said shielding sections is provided with a pair of vertically extending pockets at said left and right edges thereof, each of said vertically extending pockets having an access hole, each of said side bars being received respectively and removably in said vertically extending pockets via said access holes such that said side bars stretch said lowermost one of said shielding sections when received in said vertically extending pockets and permit folding of said lowermost one of said shielding sections in the vertical direction when removed from said vertically extending pockets.
 3. The blind device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said access holes are located at top ends of said vertically extending pockets.
 4. The blind device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said counterweight unit further includes a pair of couplers, each of which connects removably a corresponding end of said bottom bar to a lower end of a corresponding one of said side bars.
 5. The blind device as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of said couplers has a first coupling segment that clamps removably said lower end of the corresponding one of said side bars, and a second coupling segment that clamps removably said corresponding end of said bottom bar.
 6. The blind device as claimed in claim 5, wherein one of said couplers and said side bars is formed with a protrusion, and the other one of said couplers and said side bars is formed with a groove to engage removably said protrusion.
 7. The blind device as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of said bottom bar and said side bars has a U-shaped structure, each of said couplers being clamped removably by said lower end of the corresponding one of said side bars and said corresponding end of said bottom bar.
 8. The blind device as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of said couplers includes a fan-shaped main body and two insert portions that extend from said main body and that are angularly spaced apart from each other at a right angle, each of said insert portions being clamped removably by one of said bottom and side bars.
 9. The blind device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said counterweight unit further includes a horizontally extending top bar retained at said top edge of said lowermost one of said shielding sections.
 10. The blind device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said top bar has a U-shaped structure, said counterweight unit further including another pair of said couplers, each of which connects removably a corresponding end of said top bar to an upper end of a corresponding one of said side bars.
 11. The blind device as claimed in claim 1, wherein adjacent ones of said shielding sections of said screen body are provided with a horizontally extending rod-receiving pocket at a junction thereof, said blind device further comprising a plurality of lifting rods, each of which is inserted into a respective one of said rod-receiving pockets.
 12. The blind device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lowermost one of said shielding sections is provided with a pair of vertically extending pockets at said left and right edges thereof, said side bars being received respectively in said vertically extending pockets and being convertible such that said side bars stretch said lowermost one of said shielding sections to dispose said counterweight unit in the screen-stretching state and permit folding of said lowermost one of said shielding sections in the vertical direction to dispose said counterweight unit in the screen-foldable state.
 13. The blind device as claimed in claim 12, wherein each of said side bars includes upper and lower bar segments, each of which includes a bar body having head and tail ends, each of said side bars further including a coupling member for interconnecting removably and non-foldably said tail end of said bar body of said upper bar segment and said head end of said bar body of said lower bar segment.
 14. The blind device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said coupling member is sleeved on and is slidable along said bar body of said upper bar segment, and said bar body of said lower bar segment is formed with a stop flange proximate to said head end thereof for abutting against said coupling member when said coupling member interconnects said upper and lower bar segments.
 15. The blind device as claimed in claim 14, wherein each of said vertically extending pockets is further formed with an opening registered with said coupling member of the respective one of said side bars when said coupling member interconnects said upper and lower bar segments.
 16. The blind device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said coupling member has a first coupling segment to engage removably said tail end of said bar body of said upper bar segment, and a second coupling segment to engage removably said head end of said bar body of said lower bar segment. 